Hardy in the lineup, as Yankees visit Target Field

J.J. Hardy is out for early batting practice, and we'll find out soon if he's being activated from the disabled list.

This will be a rematch of the May 14 pitching matchup at Yankee Stadium. A.J. Burnett left that game with the Yankees leading 3-2 in the seventh inning. LHP Damaso Marte entered, and Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau had back-to-back RBI hits, giving the Twins the lead.

I mention it just as a frame of reference for these starting pitchers. Burnett had a rough one his next start, as he gave up six earned runs in 6 2/3 innings against Tampa Bay. After going 4-0 with a 1.99 ERA in his first six starts, Burnett is 1-2 with an 8.15 ERA in his past three.

Baker is coming off a quality start at Fenway Park, last Tuesday, when the Twins lost to the Red Sox, 3-2.

Note: Don't let it sneak up on you. Wednesday's game has been moved to 6:10 p.m., as it will be shown on ESPN in addition to FSN.

Update: Hardy is in the lineup. No word on the official roster move.

Update: To make room for Hardy, Trevor Plouffe has been optioned to Class AAA Rochester. Nick Punto, who had a cortisone injection in his finger Sunday, won't be able to hit tonight, but should be ready in a day or two.

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Phil Miller covered three seasons of Twins baseball, but that was at a different ballpark for a different newspaper. Now Miller returns to the baseball beat after joining the Star Tribune as the Gopher football writer in 2010, and he won't miss the dingy dome for a minute. In addition to the Twins and Gophers, Miller covered the Utah Jazz and the NBA for six years at The Salt Lake Tribune.